The Royal Cornwall Show is one of the biggest spring events of its kind. Taking place in Wadebridge in North Cornwall, it has events and activities of all kinds, mostly dedicated to agriculture. It has sheepdog trials, falconry exhibits, sports, craft shows, live music and much more. Because it has a “Royal” prefix, you will often see a member of the royal family in attendance too. It is also an important place for local and national charities to raise awareness of their work in the county. This year, a Cornish lottery winner used the opportunity to donate some of his winnings to a Multiple Sclerosis charity.
By Tim Green (originally posted to Flickr as Truro Cathedral) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
About the Cornish Lottery Winner
In 2015, Peter Congdon from Truro (Cornwall’s only city) won £13.5m. His late wife suffered from MS and the minute he knew he won, he vowed to donate some of it to the local MS charity. Merlin MS Centre received £1m from Mister Congdon on the first day of the Royal Cornwall Show. Merlin is based at Hewas Water between St. Austell and Truro. Mister Congdon’s wife used the service during her life and it was his way to pay back all their good work.
Merlin provides a vital service to MS patients across the county. Local charities such as this often cannot compete with the bigger organisations. This £1m can go a long way to helping MS patients in Cornwall. A spokesperson said that they were overwhelmed at the generosity of the Cornish lottery winner Mister Congdon. They plan to spend the money on a hydrotherapy pool. Swimming and other water-based physical activity has proven to be essential in helping MS patients remain active. Getting plenty of exercise can ease the symptoms of MS.